Rating: 
Summary: Best Read with an Open Mind
Review: One of the members of my book club recommended this book and I purchased it, aware of some of the things revealed within this mystery/thriller. But not all of them - I had never heard of the Priory of Sion. It's a good read - quite revealing. As someone who appreciates the artwork of Leonardo DaVinci, I found the information about the "secrets" behind his paintings very interesting. "The DaVinci Code" is best read with an open mind. Believe it or not - or choose to simply look at it as a fictional book wrapped in what some claim to be historical fact. It's worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible!
Review: One of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I'm not sure how accurate the book is, but even if everything included in this book is false it still makes for a great read. Many readers will certainly find this book to be offensive. Keep an open mind while reading this book. it's validity may be questionable, but the thought it provokes is unparalelled by any other novel! It's the kind of book that you'll make sure you find time to read!
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly fast read
Review: One of the most fast paced fiction I have ever read in recent years. Ingenious plot! All fans of Lupin or Holmes will appreciate this book.
Rating:
Summary: REALLY GREAT FICTION(?)
Review: One of the most interesting and engrossing books I have seen in a long while. Dan Brown's research is phenomenal. Opus Dei took it seriously enough to mention it on their website so he ruffled a few feathers.
The book says you can make 62 English words out of PLANETS...
I am up to 47.
I recommend this highly.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Read.
Review: One of the most interesting mystery books I have read in a long time.
I really enjoyed the historical references and facts about codes and secret societies woven through out the entire tale. I will definately look for this author again.
Rating: 
Summary: Too unbelievable a plot
Review: One of the pleasures of reading fiction is the ability to suspend reality for awhile. Within that context, however, the plot needs to be believable. For example, in science fiction, the author will lay out most of the 'rules of the universe' early on, for example, 'takes place 10 or 100 or 500 years in the future', 'government is now galaxy-wide', etc., etc. The basic premise in THIS book is that a number of people can keep a deep secret for 2000 years, and that NONE of those folks would be confronted with a motivation to break ranks (successfully, anyway). He also mis-states a fair amount of history: one example, overstating the number of gospels that were floating around before the Council of Nicea. Sadly, I think the real motivation behind this book is simply anti-Christian, and more specifically, Vatican-bashing. I suppose if it's subtle enough, people will get sucked into it, but frankly, the plot was just too stupid for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Lightning Bolt Quickly Loses its Sizzle
Review: One official book description says: "THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightening-paced, intelligent thriller...utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion." I disagree. I'm no sleuth but long before events unmasked "the bad guy," I had figured out who the mastermind was. I would rate the book 2½ stars out of 5 because it is a page turner. I read it pretty much in 2 sittings, staying up late to finish it. Being a page turner however, was not enough. After I had expended the energy required to turn 400 pages, I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. An aside: I noticed that my local bookstore in Upper Westside Manhattan is promoting The Name of the Rose on the same display table as The Da Vinci Code; the sublimnal message: If you liked The Name of the Rose you'll love The Da Vinci Code. Or, The Da Vinci Code is comparable to Eco's brilliant thriller. The latter suggestion does not hold water. Dan Brown's writing cannot hold a candle to Umberto Eco's, and unfortunately, nor can his plot line. Brown's book held great promise in the opening chapter and at times I enjoyed the writing. What I found sadly lacking was depth. Lots of facts thrown in-so many, in fact, I found their presence irritatingly pedantic. I felt as if a school professor was trying to sweeten the taste of rote fact learning, using his story line like a juicy fruit in which to hide the dry pill of factual research. Under the guise of revealing secret societies and their rituals, what I felt I was really looking at was Mr. Brown's ability to research to death-which I suppose is appropriate for a murder mystery-the etymology of words, phrases, rituals, pagan and Christian rites, symbolic meaning (albeit the surface meanings) hidden in art, film, writing, etc. In a nutshell: Mr. Brown attempts to boil the ocean in revealing the potency of the Divine Feminine but fails to reach the boiling point-or, to use a metaphor that is perhaps more fitting for his book: an orgasmic climax. Marion Zimmer Bradley did a superior job in The Mists of Avalon revealing the Divine Feminine and its connections with the Grail. What makes the book problematic, in spite of its grand themes and at times interesting plot? This question haunted me after I finished reading it. First, the characters lacked depth because they lack sufficient history. We have glimpses of their backgrounds but nothing that's satisfyingly "fleshed out." The reason J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter appeals to adults as well as children is because readers sense each character has a complete history, even if it isn't presented in the books. Second, the structure of the book peeters out. Mr. Brown starts by giving the antagonists and protagonists equal weight; one chapter for the ps, one chapter for the as. Obviously if this were to continue throughout the book, its predictability would become tedious for the reader, or smart readers would skip every other chapter if they just wanted to get to the heart of the matter. But Mr. Brown sells out on his characters-all of them-to create a page turner of plot alone. We get caught up, or served, with only Langdon and Neveu; the other characters are left far behind by about half way through the book. The kind of structure this book attempts and fails to deliver was mastered by Philip Pullman's The Amber Spy Glass, in his "Golden Compass" ("Northern Lights" for U.K.) series. I am mainly disappointed The Da Vinci Code became so predictable. I'll give Angels and Demons a try: perhaps Mr. Brown's earlier writing has that quality of originality of thought that makes the work of writers like Rowling, Pullman, Eco, et al, stand head and shoulders above The Da Vinci Code and its author's foray into the world of symbolism, ritual and Truth.
Rating:
Summary: remember to floss
Review: One reviewer called DVC fun mental candy. It may very well be that. Just remember, folks, that too much mental candy will give you brain cavities. This is really low level fiction. Yes the conspiracy gimic would be intriguing if it wasn't so ridiculous and presented so ineptly. The characters are so mournfully routine and shallow, it's almost a vaudeville act. I've read better prose, in a Carolyn Keene novel. The dialogue is clunky, the cliff hanger suspense annoying and artless. Somebody might be able to take this thing and rework it into something that passes as good fiction, maybe call it "The Da Vinci Code Revisited." Sorry to say that only one out of four dentists could recommend this one and certainly no brain surgeons.
Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: One thing I can say is that this book is incredible. I started in the morning and couldn't stop until I closed the book at 10 p.m. The plot was intertwined with fact and fiction and awakened a new side of me. A renewed interest in art and religion! I do not want to say much about the book because it may or may not spoil it for you, however, this is an INTENSE read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you are so inclined, you may want to seek out Dan Brown's website that coincides with this book. After you've read it, of course. Enjoy this very interesting, well put together, and thought provoking book. I know I did!
Rating:
Summary: An Intellectuals Guilty (Almost) Pleasure
Review: One thing is absolutely certain Dan Brown can write!! Whether or not his plot is completely feasible or his research can be supported his prose is artful and all of his characters, even those that play minor roles, are well developed. While I personally believe that a millennia old secret society would have a better system than to rely on the security of the secret identities of its four top members, this premise leads to an enlightening and suspenseful tale. Having previously researched in depth the role the church played in the subjugation of women I know that much of Brown's evidence is legitimate. However, his casting of all pagan's as egalitarian is a stretch, misogyny was evident long before monotheism. And he has woven the fact together with his fiction so well that it is impossible to see where one begins and one ends if any of his evidence is in fact his own brainchild. While a bibliography can be found at www.danbrown.com, I would have appreciated a clear outline of what was supported and what was fantasy. In that regard it is a torment to the intellectual mind. Paul Michael does an excellent job as the reader of the book. His voices are specific, and his interpretation of Silas is particularly heart wrenching. Worth a read or a listen.
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